53
Governments are hacking people with ‘zero-click’ spyware by showing them online ads (pogowasright.org)
submitted 3 days ago by to c/privacy@lemmy.ca
9 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Zack Whittaker reports: Security researchers at digital rights unit The Citizen Lab say government spyware makers are abusing global advertising networks to target and hack devices by serving malicious online adverts. A new report published Thursday by the University of Toronto lab, which investigates surveillance and digital rights abuses, said an Israeli company called Discover-Tech...

all 9 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 12 points 2 days ago (1 child)

Governments?

Or just Israel

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
    • [–] 21 points 2 days ago (2 children)

    So using Ublock Origins is mandatory for staying safe on the web, but i guess most people here are probably using it. Btw this isn't something new, malvertising has always been a thing.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 9 points 2 days ago (1 child)

    I find it important to also block with DNS and/or IP blocks. It’s not just websites in the browser doing this stuff, it’s applications on your computer and apps on your phone. Fuck, it’s basically anything connected to the internet.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 3 points 1 day ago*

    Definitely. Just additional information for users who use Windows, Simplewall which is basically a GUI of the built-in firewall of Windows but it does its job well. I'm sure there's something like that for Linux too. Hostman is also a good tool although not sure if it's still getting updated where you can put blocked IPs, ones used with Ublock for example, into the host file of Windows. And lastly, from your router, but this method I have never tried it and neither mine support it.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
    • [–] 17 points 3 days ago

    What's this "online ad" you speak of?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 4 points 2 days ago (1 child)

    "Ads"? Sorry, I've been diligently protecting myself with the help of our lord and saviour Ublock Origin for years now.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 1 point 18 hours ago

    The one that Google changed the web spec to defeat. Thank goodness for pfblocker (or pihole), but Raymond Hill has probably singlehandedly done more to keep the web safe and usable than anyone. Man should get a medal.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
    • [–] 6 points 3 days ago*

    An israeli firm used this method to hack Australian government sites very recently.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •